By Laura Wenus
The latest tool to help the homeless? Gift cards.
HandUp, a public benefit corportation that helps homeless people pay for things they need by creating an online account for them that donors can contribute to and check progress on, has designed gift cards that can eventually be redeemed for everything from clothes to food to bus passes. The cards also get the individual into the system for longer term services.
In late August, HandUp rolled out the program in which donors can pay for $25 gift cards to give to homeless people that they or others encounter on the streets.
“Our donors have been asking to be able to give to someone on the street. They want to help them,” said Rose Broome, the cofounder of HandUp.
So, why not just give cash?
“People don’t feel comfortable giving a lot of cash on the streets, and that comes from a concern that people want to make sure they’re helping and not hurting someone,” said Broome. “It gives flexibility, the donor knows that the funds are going toward something productive and beneficial.”
The gift cards…
Finish reading New help for San Francisco's homeless: Gift Cards
